Consent Policy & Incident Procedures

Seattle Ecstatica primarily hosts dance events. At these events, people mingle, move close together, brush past each other, and intentionally make and break contact constantly. By participating, you acknowledge that this is a physical environment and occasional brushes, bumps, or unintentional contact may occur.

Not every touch is a consent violation. And at the same time, how that contact happens, whether it’s wanted, and most importantly, how someone responds when it isn’t wanted, matters enormously.

This document explains what we do when something goes wrong. It’s the procedural companion to our Code of Conduct and explains more about our process.

When something feels off

If something happens that doesn’t feel okay, during the event or after, you have options. You don’t have to confront anyone directly and it’s ok if you’re not sure exactly what happened.

Options:

• Find a HeartTender (pink wristband). They are trained consent ambassadors who’s job is to support you emotionally and help you figure out next steps if needed.

• If you can’t find a HeartTender, speak with an organizer or the DJ. They’ll get you to the right person.

• Submit an incident report (anonymously if you prefer) before, during, or after the event.

How reports are handled

All reports go to the Consent Team: organizers Adnan, Noé, and Raiza, along with professional consent mediator Lux. We review everything as a team. We pay close attention to patterns over time, not just individual incidents.

We approach every situation assuming most harm is unintentional, and most people are capable of learning. That said, we don’t ignore behavior that keeps recurring.

Our goal is never punishment. It’s preventing further harm and keeping this a space people can trust. Both the person who experienced harm and the person who caused it are treated with care throughout the process. We’re not perfect, and we as a Consent Team are continually learning and growing ourselves, but we do our best to collaboratively resolve incidents.

Anonymous reports

Anonymous reports are welcome. They help us track what’s happening in the space over time, and they matter even when we can’t act on them directly. Because we can’t verify details or follow up for clarification, anonymous reports generally don’t lead to direct action on their own. But if we receive multiple anonymous reports describing similar behavior from the same person, we may step in with a conversation, a reminder about community agreements, or increased attention to that person’s interactions.

Named reports

When a report includes names and the reporter is willing to engage in follow-up, we can take more specific action. We’ll consult with you before taking any actions, and then depending on the situation, our response might include:

• A conversation with the person named

• Education or feedback about specific behavior

• A behavioral agreement for future events

• A temporary pause from attending while we work through the situation

• In serious cases, asking someone not to return

We can only act on behavior that occurs within Seattle Ecstatica events or spaces directly connected to the community, however we do take outside circumstances into account. Each situation is evaluated individually and we consider impact, patterns, power dynamics, and the safety of the broader community.

When we step in immediately

If something is happening in real time and safety is at risk, organizers or HeartTenders will step in without waiting for a report. This might mean separating people, asking someone to take a break from the floor, or asking someone to leave for the evening. Immediate intervention is like first-aid for stabilizing the situation, not making a final judgment. Whatever happens in the moment, a fuller process will follow.

Repeated behavior

We believe people can grow. We also believe the community’s safety comes first. If someone receives feedback about their behavior and the same pattern continues, our response will likely escalate. Escalation might include required consent education, a structured behavioral agreement, a temporary pause from attending, or removal from the space. The specific response depends on the nature of the behavior and what’s already been tried.

Zero tolerance

Intentional harm, coercion, sexual violence, and hate speech—including racism, homophobia, and transphobia—are not subject to the same graduated process. If you experience or witness any of these, contact a HeartTender or organizer immediately. Serious incidents may result in immediate removal and permanent exclusion from Seattle Ecstatica events. If sexual or physical abuse, or any criminal acts, happen to a community member outside the space, we may prevent the person causing harm from entering the space until further investigation.

Our commitment

We give people the benefit of the doubt, and we take harm seriously. On the one hand, we don’t rush to shame, cancel, or exile people. On the other we also don’t ignore behavior that keeps causing harm. We listen carefully, track patterns, intervene when necessary, and try to support everyone involved (including the person who caused harm) through a process that’s as fair and restorative as we can make it. We’re not a perfect team, and this isn’t a perfect process but we’re learning as we go, and we’re committed to getting better at it.

Scope

This policy applies to all Seattle Ecstatica events. Questions or concerns about the Consent Team or this process can be directed to info@seattleecstatica.com.

Read our Code of Conduct for the full community agreements.

Read The Consent Culture We’re Building for the thinking behind all of this.